Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips from Saturday, August 22 - Sunday, August 23, 2026:

Gateway National Parks
"Ranger's Choice" Guided Walk at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every week on Sunday at 10:30 AM from June 07, 2026 to August 30, 2026
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Join us for a park ranger-led program highlighting the nature and history of Jamaica Bay. For more information about a week's tour, call the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 718-318-4340.
Registration: Reservation or Registration: No
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Hudson River Audubon Society

Butterfly Walk - Lenoir Nature Preserve
Sunday, August 22, 2026, 10:00am
Leader: Michael Bochnik
Description: Meet at the Nature Center at 10 AM. 19 Dudley Street, Yonkers. We will walk to the Beverly Smith Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden and search for caterpillars and butterflies. Learn about their life cycle and other interesting facts.
Registration: bochnikm@cs.com
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NYC Bird Alliance

Rockaway Community Bird Outing
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 10:00am — 11:30am
Leader: Russell Jacobs
Description: Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaways, a vital habitat for shorebirds year-round, with a FREE community bird outing. In the summer, these beaches provide crucial nesting grounds for shorebirds like Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers, while in the fall, becoming important foraging habitat for sandpipers and other shorebirds making their way south.
Registration: Registration page
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Governors Island Bird Tour
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 2:15pm — 3:45pm
Leader: _____
Description: Did you know that nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island? Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover what makes this island an excellent place for birding.
Registration: Registration page
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South Shore Audubon Society

Mill Pond Park
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Leader: Members of SSAS
Description: Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road. The park is four blocks west of the Wantagh State Parkway. Meet at the gazebo.
Registration: Registration is required by calling Joe Landesberg at 516-467-9498
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Urban Park Rangers

Saturday, August 22, 2026
Birding: Shorebird Migration at Entrance - Beach 44th Street and Boardwalk (in Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk), Queens
10:00am–11:30am
Learn more about plovers, terns, oystercatchers and other shorebirds that migrate to Rockaway Beach every year.
Free

Best of the Fortnight

Here are my favorite photos that I took during the first two weeks of August, 2026. Enjoy.

Red-tailed Hawk fledging

Immature Bald Eagle

Eastern Kingbird

Great Blue Heron

Groundhog sniffing the air

Leaf Cutter Bee at Franklin tree

Sleepy Raccoon

Young male Wood Duck

Northern House Wren carrying food

Osprey

Striped Sweat Bee on Butterfly Weed

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Young Red-tailed Hawk with rat

American Kestrel

Red-tailed Hawk eating grasshopper

Cicada Killer Wasp

Italian Wall Lizard

Common Buckeye

Spicebush Swallowtail

Sachem Skipper on Ironweed

Young Gray Catbird

Black-and-white Warbler

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

Solitary Sandpiper

Familiar Silhouette

Common Raven

 

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips from Saturday, August 15 - Sunday, August 16, 2026:

Brooklyn Bird Club

Southbound Shorebirds Passing Through Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Description: The peak wave of shorebirds and water birds, terns, marsh species.
Registration: Peter Dorosh, prosbird@gmail.com
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Gateway National Parks
"Ranger's Choice" Guided Walk at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every week on Sunday at 10:30 AM from June 07, 2026 to August 30, 2026
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Join us for a park ranger-led program highlighting the nature and history of Jamaica Bay. For more information about a week's tour, call the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 718-318-4340.
Registration: Reservation or Registration: No
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21st Annual Shorebird Festival
Sunday, August 16, 2026, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Celebrate Jamaica Bay's shorebirds with a free, fun-filled event for birders of all skill levels! Take part in guided birding walks, informational talks and family-friendly activities.
Registration: Reservation or Registration: No
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Green-Wood Cemetery

Birding in Peace: Late-Risers Edition (Members Only)
Sunday, August 16, 2026, 10:00am – 11:30pm
Description: If you’ve always wanted to go on a birding tour at Green-Wood but aren’t much of a morning person, this tour is for you! The early bird-er might get the worm, but you can birdwatch at any hour. Join birding expert Rob Jett and a small group of fellow members to roam the grounds while hearing and seeing the many feathered friends of Green-Wood.
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Hudson River Audubon Society

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Sunday, August 16, 2026, 8:00am
Leader: Michael Bochnik
Description: Wear foot wear that can get muddy and wet. We will walk the edge of the East Pond for shorebirds. Arrive early as this is the same day a the Shorebird Festival.
Registration: bochnikm@cs.com
View Details


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NYC Bird Alliance

Rockaway Community Bird Outing
Saturday, August 15, 2026, 10:00am — 11:30am
Leader: Russell Jacobs
Description: Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaways, a vital habitat for shorebirds year-round, with a FREE community bird outing. In the summer, these beaches provide crucial nesting grounds for shorebirds like Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers, while in the fall, becoming important foraging habitat for sandpipers and other shorebirds making their way south.
Registration: Registration page
View Details

Governors Island Bird Tour
Saturday, August 15, 2026, 2:15pm — 3:45pm
Leader: _____
Description: Did you know that nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island? Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover what makes this island an excellent place for birding.
Registration: Registration page
View Details


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Queens County Bird Club

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Saturday, August 15, 2026, 7:45am - 12:15pm
Leader: Eric Miller (917) 279-7530
Description: This is expected to be a "mini trip" covering Jamaica National Wildlife Refuge, both East and West Ponds, and perhaps other nearby hotspots. Please confirm with trip leader whether packing a lunch is necessary.
Registration: You must contact the trip leader to register.
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South Shore Audubon Society

Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Leader: Members of SSAS
Description: From the Meadowbrook Parkway, use the Merrick Road M9 east exit. Enter the Department of Sanitation entrance immediately on right (if you’re driving west on Merrick Road, make a U-turn after Central Boulevard and before the Meadowbrook Parkway). Look for signs to Levy Park and Preserve parking lot.
Registration: Registration is required by calling Joe Landesberg at 516-467-9498
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Urban Park Rangers

Saturday, August 15, 2026
Kid Birding at Margaret Corbin Circle (in Fort Tryon Park), Manhattan
10:00am–11:00am
Join naturalist Alexandra Wang for a family-friendly birding adventure in Fort Tryon Park! Discover local birds, learn ID skills, and explore nature together.
Free

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips from Saturday, August 8 - Sunday, August 9, 2026:

Freshkills Park Alliance

Bird Tour at Freshkills Park
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: Rangers
Description: Join the Freshkills Park Alliance for a birding walk through North Park Phase 1 to North Mound and back. On this two-hour walk, we'll look for and learn about the many different species of birds that visit and call Freshkills Park home.
Registration: Register via Eventbrite.
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Gateway National Parks
"Ranger's Choice" Guided Walk at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every week on Sunday at 10:30 AM from June 07, 2026 to August 30, 2026
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Join us for a park ranger-led program highlighting the nature and history of Jamaica Bay. For more information about a week's tour, call the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 718-318-4340.
Registration: Reservation or Registration: No
View Details


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Green-Wood Cemetery

Birding in Peace
Sunday, August 9, 2026, 6:00am – 7:30pm
Description: Before our gates open to the public, this early morning walking tour provides special access to discover the many birds that call Green-Wood home, some temporarily. Throughout the season, you’ll witness an ever-changing display of wildlife. April brings pine warblers, woodpeckers, and thousands of migrating songbirds among the blooming magnolias and dogwoods, while herons gather at the glacial ponds. May and early June offer peak birding with over 163 species passing through, including ruby-throated hummingbirds and wood warblers. Summer sees young red-tailed hawks taking flight, along with abundant butterflies and dragonflies. By late July, the first migratory birds begin their journey south.
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NYC Bird Alliance

Governors Island Bird Tour
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 2:15pm — 3:45pm
Leader: _____
Description: Did you know that nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island? Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover what makes this island an excellent place for birding.
Registration: Registration page
View Details


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Urban Park Rangers

Saturday, August 8, 2026
Salt Marsh Saturday at Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
9:00am–12:00pm
The marsh pathway gates will be open and our Natural Areas Team will be on site to answer questions, share facts and show off the unique species that call this ecosystem home.
Free

Birding: Hawk Watch at Avenue A and St. Marks Place (in Tompkins Square Park), Manhattan
1:00pm–2:00pm
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free